After leaving the residential roads (I’d have preferred to leave them earlier by going straight on past the school and using Beech Walk), the off-road Standish Wood Lane was really very nice, with loads of squirrels, although there were some large puddles to avoid. I chose the south east side, as the wheat crop had recently been harvested, but the other side (which in retrospect, I suspect is the correct route) looked very overgrown and wild. The final lane into Orrell ran behind houses and looked tidy and well-used....

Mary Oz

I have only walked the eastern half of this route as it coincides with Parsta 2, and it is currently blocked near the M6 footbridge. See my review of Parsta 1 for details....

Mary Oz

The first 45% of this route, along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath, was really pleasant and easy. The remainder of the route continued to mostly avoid roads by using a series of field and woodland footpaths, quite often enclosed by fencing, but generally pleasant, although sometimes muddy....

Mary Oz

I can imagine it gets muddy in winter but I did it on a warm day in June and it was fine....

Gismay

Leaving Standish involved a narrow path, which at the time (after a long rainy spell) was very muddy, and then a footbridge over the railway, before a walk up the pavement of a fairly busy road to reach the canal at Red Rock....

Mary Oz

From Adlington, the route went straight to the canal, where access involved three steps, a cobbled slope, and an A-frame cycle barrier. There was also an aqueduct over Cycle Route 55, currently an unsurfaced former railway line which I think would make another good alternative route for this Slow Way....

Mary Oz

Quite long walk along canal, really good views of Standish and a nice stroll through an open forest. End of the walk included a bridge across a train track, through a housing estate and into town back to centre of Standish....

Will H

A short walk west from here then up over the (steep) steps of the bridge crossing the west coat railway line....

Gismay

After a few minutes there’s a path through to Mesnes park, a refreshing hilly park with a café, play park, ponds and many ducks....

Will H

There was a short section off Gidlow lane that was a bit overgrown but passable as we kept our arms up away from the nettles. But the rest of the walk was straightforward, plenty off road until the outskirts of Wigan is reached then a pleasant stretch through Mesnes park and on to Wallgate....

Gismay

There are probably re route options to enable walking this way, but the landowners/farmers shouldn't be allowed to make walking this way so difficult/frustrating for people...

Runtoexplore

The route followed a branch off to the left, closer to the stream, whereas StaWig One ploughed on through mud. One reaching the gravelled track the route was easy to follow, so although it was a bit longer, it was no slower....

Mary Oz

I set off from Standish to walk this route, but at ///idea.guess.snake it looked so endlessly muddy ahead that I followed the path to the left which is on OS Maps as a bridleway, then walked WSW along the lane until ///flying.chat.tags, where I couldn’t find any clear footpaths in either direction through the woods, where OS Maps just shows dotted black lines....

Mary Oz

I walked from Coppull to Standish on a crisp winter’s day, and I thought this was a lovely route....

Mary Oz

Nice views of Winter Hill and passing by the historic Hic Bibi....

Runtoexplore

Careful at ///ferrets.frame.discussed as the footpath here is not the continuation of the route the route continues along St Wilfrids Rd (///wage.damp.autumn)....

Stearsb

Part of the route passes through a golf course, should you wish to avoid this part you can follow the cycle trail at ///juniors.hiking.cuddled and re-joining the route at ///texted.prettiest.reinvest (there are steps leading to the trail)....

Stearsb

A really enjoyable walk, really good paths for the most part, a narrow gate and some sloping earth paths ~ 17 degrees. The path splits close to ///idea.guess.snake I walked the suggested route (straight on) but the path to the left looked to be better, and it avoided a steep, but short, bank at ///flying.chat.tags. Rather than heading to Parsons walk at ///label.flute.cube I walked through the very pleasant park and joined it at ///badly.cage.circle....

Stearsb

Wigan Council are aware but unfortunately the Brook forms the boundary with Chorley Council so there will be no quick repair while they sort it out between them....

Ricka

After you leave the canal (bridge 66) and drop down to cross the river Douglas the footpath is straight ahead as you leave the foot bridge ( ///compelled.webcams.remaining see picture). The Slow Ways route takes you through the farm but the foot path on the OS map takes you to the right of the farm buildings at ///printouts.done.majoring....

Stearsb

We walked 6 miles but that was only getting to the half way point of the route and then returning to our start point....

Margaret Small